Combination ironing board and bench for breakfast table



ay 1'7, 1938. 1. l. POLSON 2,117,499

COMBINATION IRONING BOARD AND BENCH FOR BREAKFAST TABLE Filed Jan. 14, 1936 FIGJ.

Z 26 (Ha-4.

Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE COMBINATION IRONING BOARD AND BENCH FOR BREAKFAST TABLE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in combination ironing board and bench for breakfast table or other concealable furniture.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a device of this character which is new, novel, practical, useful, and of evident utility; which is simple in construction, durable and reliable; which consists of but few sturdy parts, is easily operated, cannot easily get out of order,

and is efficient for the purposes for which it is intended; which is particularly adapted for use in elhciency apartments where space is limited; which is adapted to be projected into position for use as a bench of suitable height, but which may be easily re-positioned at a greater height for use as an ironing board, but which, when folded, will occupy no more space within a shallow wall frame than an ordinary folding bench.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear, my invention consists in the construction, novel features, and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claim hereto appended, and illustrated in the accompanying one-sheet drawing,

of which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the parts in folded position; Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective View of the ironing boardbench; Figure 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Figure l with the bench in ironing board position shown by dotted lines; Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the table and two benches in projected position; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of stops and anchors for holding the table in horizontal position; and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view, in perspective, showing anchors positioned above the end of the table.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

40 It is understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, shape, weight, and other details of construction, within the scope of my invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or broad principle of my invention 5 as claimed and without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and it is further understood that the drawing is to be interpreted as being illustrative and not restrictive.

Ironing boards which fold into shallow wall 50 frames so as to require no floor space when not in use are of common occurrence. As now built they require separate compartments and occupy definite and valuable wall space. An ironing board is seldom used as compared with a break- 55 fast table bench and thus its separate compartment and wall space becomes an economic waste. My invention obviates this as it serves a double purpose, neither of which conflicts with the other. As will be readily understood from a study of the drawing, there is a direct cooperation in my combination of ironing board, bench and breakfast table. When in its elevated position the board is above the table, leaving ample room on the floor under the board for a clothes basket, and conveniently positioned so that the table can be 0 used as a temporary depository for the articles being ironed. Either or both benches may be made into ironing boards, or if only one is to be so made, it may be placed so as to suit a right or left handed person. 15

One embodiment of my invention is shown as follows: The numeral i denotes the frame surrounding the compactly enclosed parts, the said frame projecting into the room an amount equivalent to that of a door or window casing. The o folded parts are built into the wall and require no floor space when stored away. Partition members 2 divide the enclosure of frame I into lower central space 3 for the reception of the table. Upper central space l, separated from space 3 26 by narrow shelf 6, may be used for storage. The upper parts of side spaces 5 are recesses for the ironing board-benches, and the lower parts I provide small storage spaces. Cross members 8 support the inner ends of said benches at the 30 proper height.

Space 4 is enclosed but accessible by means of doors 9 opening right and left. These doors, when closed, conceal the upper part of the table when it is in folded position, and the said doors 9 may have mirror panels if desired. Spaces 5 and parts of space 3 are enclosed by doors [0, while parts I l of said doors IE! are only as wide as said spaces 5, the said doors Ill-ll being side hinged to frame I and opening right and left. Doors I2 are bottom hinged and give access to storage spaces l.

Panel l3, positioned between the enlarged lower parts of doors I0, is pivoted at the bottom by outside hinges M to frame I, and at the top by 5 inside hinges l5 to table IS. The said panel 13, being narrower than table I6, allows knee room for persons sitting on benches 26 as can be readily understood from Figures 1 and 4. The inner end of table i6 is attached to supporting bar H; extensions Is on the ends of said bar I! are seated in channels 19 formed in members 2. The upper ends of said channels [9 have arcuate terminals 20 for seating extensions l8 when table 16 is in a horizontal position and supported by panel I3.

Extension anchors 2| are cross-connected by bar 22; said anchors 2| are lifted vertically by bar I! as table I 6 is brought into horizontal position, and the said anchors 2| drop down behind bar I! and thus automatically lock and hold the table. Corner stops 23 limit the vertical travel of anchors 2| and stops 24 hold said anchors 2| in proper position behind bar I]. In folding table 5 into space 3, anchors 2| are lifted by means of cross bar 22; the outer free end of table [6 is raised while extensions 18 move downward in channels l9 until they seat at the lower terminals 25 of said channels I9, when the table will have reached a vertical position in said space 3.

The combined ironing board and bench 26, when used as a bench, is supported near its outer end by leg 21 hinged at 28 so as to have a slight inclination from the vertical as can best be seen in Figure 3. When leg 21 is not being used as such it is held in folded position on the underside of bench 26 by button 29. At the inner end of bench 26 is secured anchor bar 30, having extensions 3! for seating and having motion behind guide bars 32 secured to member 2. When said bench 26 is converted into an ironing board, the extensions 3| on bar 30 seat on top of guide bars 32 and under and behind anchor stops 33, as best seen in Figure 2. The T-shaped ironing board brace 34 has its crossbar 4| hinged at 35 to member 8, and by means of the double hinge 36 has its stem at 3'! hinged at 38 to the under side of member 26. When not being used as a brace, member 34 is secured at its outer end 3'! to the underside of member 26 by button 39. As a bench, the inner end of member 26 rests on top of cross bar '4! the weight of the person sitting on the bench together with the extensions 3| on bar 30 and guide bars 32 will securely hold the said inner end against any movement.

When used as an ironing board, leg 27 is buttoned to the underside of member 26, as can best be seen in Figure 2 and in dotted outline in Figure 3. End 31 of brace 34 is unbuttoned, member 26 is raised to a horizontal position when extensions 3| will seat on top of guide bars 32 and behind stops 33; the intermediate member of double hinge 36 will be brought into direct contact with the underside of board 26; end 37 of brace 34 will bear against said board at a point between connection 38 and anchor bar 30; the weight of the board and any other superimposed weight will hold the ironing board rigidly in position for use. In putting the ironing board away the above steps are reversed; the board will rest on hinges 35, and, when pushed back into space 5, bullet catch 40 on the end of board 26 will bear against the underside of upper, inner cross frame member 42 and hold the board in an upright position.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a convertible combination, a cabinet adapted to be positioned within a wall and being provided with vertical side members, a flat topped first member adapted to be used as either a bench or an ironing board, a leg hinged to the flat topped member for supporting the outer end thereof, fastening means for holding the said leg against the under side of the said member when used as an ironing board, a horizontal cross member within the said cabinet for indirectly supporting the inner end of the said fiat topped member, a brace hinged to the said cross member by a plurality of hinges attached to the inner end of the said brace, the inner end of the said fiat topped member, when used as a bench, resting on the said brace as a support, a double acting hinge consisting of two hinges and an intermediate connecting member for securing the outer end of the said brace to the under side of the said flat topped member adjacent its mid-section, fastening means for holding the said outer end of the said brace and the folded double acting hinge against the under side of the said first member when used as a bench, a bar secured to the edge of the inner end of the said first member, extensions on the ends of the said bar, guide bars secured to the vertical side members of the said cabinet for coacting with the said extensions when the said first member is raised vertically to form an ironing board supported at its mid-section by the said brace and the now unfolded and extended, three-part, double acting hinge, anchor stops on the said cabinet above the upper ends of the said guide bars for engaging said extensions and thereby cooperating with said brace and hinge to hold the ironing board in a horizontal position and means for securing the said flat topped member in a folded position within the cabinet.

IRL I. POLSON. 

